Tennis-Federer in the pink after reaching third round

Reuters Staff

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MELBOURNE, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Roger Federer triumphed in a battle of old sparring partners, swatting aside Russian veteran Nikolay Davydenko 6-3 6-4 6-4 to cruise into the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday.

Resplendent in a pair of pink and black two-toned sneakers, Federer captured a break early in each set, while his 40th-ranked opponent never had a look at his serve and surrendered their 20th tour clash in just under two hours.

The blue-collar Davydenko offered stiffer resistance than Swiss maestro’s first-round opponent Benoit Paire, but Federer stayed cool on a balmy evening at Rod Laver Arena and belted an ace to close out the match.

Federer will continue his bid for an 18th grand slam title and fifth at Melbourne Park against Australia’s Bernard Tomic. (Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)